A Year at 32 September Way (20 page)

“You can save money and live in the house in Napa,” he offered.

“No thank you; Napa Valley was never for me,” Nicolette responded. “I’ve actually come to collect the rest of my things, if you don’t mind. My flight back is tomorrow.”

“Of course, come in.” Josh felt like he was standing in the midst of one of his movie scenes. He sat at the small kitchen table as Nicolette moved about the apartment to collect the last few of her belongings. The enormity of the situation bore down on him like an invisible weight on his shoulders.

Nicolette paused in the middle of the apartment and looked around one last time. “Josh, you’ve been good to me. I want you to know I’ve always known that. But, the fact of the matter is, we’ve never really belonged together. We tried to make it work, but you can’t force a square peg into a round hole. Our puzzle pieces don’t fit, and I think we both know, deep down inside, that we’ll be happier apart than we are together.” She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. “Goodbye, Josh.” And then she picked up her suitcase and walked out the door.

Chapter 16

The doctor’s prognosis was not unexpected, but Eva, Marcello and his family had all hoped for the best.  “Of course, there is always room for a miracle,” the doctor began to explain in his kind and gentle way, “but it’s likely that you will be paralyzed from the waist down fo
r the remainder of your life, Sig
nor Benedetto. I’m very sorry.”

Having put aside their relationship differences for the time being, Marcello and Eva cried together and, later, cried again as the prognosis was explained to Sofia, her brothers and Marcello’s family. Everyone agreed when Sofia announced that the entire family would be there to support him however he needed, and Marcello realized how fortunate he was to have
a family that loved and cared for him so much. He’d lost a great deal in the last few months, but he’d also gained a lot.

“There was one bit of good news,” Marcello explained to his children and family as he grabbed hold of Eva’s hand for support. “My doctor feels I’ll be ready to go home in a few weeks.”

A collective cheer echoed through Marcello’s room at the rehabilitation center and made its way out to the hallway. The shift nurse poked her head around the corner to make sure everything was okay, and then allowed a rare smile to spread across her lips at the sight of their happiness. It had been a long road for her patient.

“I want to discuss my living arrangements with Eva a little bit and will talk to each of you later. But for now,” Marcello explained, “it’s been a day of emotional ups and downs, and I’m beginning to feel very tired.”

No one wanted to be the cause of slowing his progress, so Marcello’s parents and siblings kissed him on the cheek. Then, they took turns kissing Sofia goodbye as Eva stepped aside, not wanting to get in the way of a family moment. “What are you doing in the corner, my dear?” asked Marcello’s mother. “Come; we want to kiss you goodbye, too.”

As they all filed by to give her the customary kiss on each cheek, Marcello looked on and smiled. It was a display of acceptance, and he was happy to see his family accept Eva’s presence in his life with such kindness. If only she would accept him back into her life. As a couple, he knew they faced a long road ahead. He only hoped they’d be facing it together.

Sofia lingered for a few minutes after the rest of the family left, making small talk about the day in general. “Before I leave,” she began, “I know you’re tired, so we don’t need to discuss this now. But maybe it would be good to plant the thought and let it sit for a little bit before you make any decisions. I have an idea about your living arrangements, Papa. And I think it would be an excellent idea on many levels.”

***

“Are you certain that’s what you want to do, my love?” Charles asked Sofia as they lay in each other’s arms enjoying the moment after making love under the soft light of the full moon. Sofia had told him she thought she should transfer back to Verona from the office in London to be closer to her father during his ongoing recovery. She explained her idea about possible living arrangements for Marcello, and Charles agreed it sounded like a good idea.

“And what do we do when my one year here is up?” Charles mused as he thought ahead to the end of August. The year was already more than halfway over, and he knew the next five months would fly by as if they were no more than a minute.

“Well, we will take turns visiting one another in London or Verona,” offered Sofia. “Or, I have an even better idea.”

Charles rolled over to his side and kissed his way from Sofia’s collarbone to her neck, then up to her jawline and lips. “Is your idea as good as mine?” he asked as he kissed his way down toward her breasts.

Sofia smiled and chuckled as a slight gasp escaped her lips. “Let’s just say it would certainly allow for more of this.”

“Then I’m all ears,” he answered enthusiastically as he continued to kiss and caress her, “and lips…and hands.”

“I do have a serious idea to share with you, if you’re not too busy to listen,” she teased him.

Charles propped himself up on one elbow and looked into the eyes of the woman he felt lucky enough to love. These past few years, he’d pushed aside even the slightest bit of hope that he might ever know love again and, now, he was looking at the woman he knew he could love for the rest of his life. “Of course I want to hear your idea,” he smiled as he leaned in and kissed her.

“This is a bit forward of me, I realize, Charles and I hope you’ll forgive me for that,” Sofia began. “But everything has happened so fast these past few months, and my father’s situation has forced me to realize how fragile life can be.”

Charles nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, it truly can be fragile.”

Sofia continued, “It’s early days, I know, but we get on famously and I know I love you….”

“And I love you too,” added Charles, whispering the words he enjoyed saying to her.

“So, perhaps we might consider living together. Perhaps you might consider staying in Italy with me, even when the year is over,” Sofia blurted out before her courage was lost.

Charles pulled her into his arms, inhaling the fresh smell of her hair and relishing the warmth of her body against his. It was because of this woman that he’d come as far as he had during his time in Verona. After a rough start, he’d learned to embrace a new city, a new culture and even a new language. His confidence had grown and he’d even been surprised to discover that he enjoyed the impromptu adventures they took in Verona and the surrounding cities. If someone had suggested living together to Charles a mere seven months ago, he’d have run in the other direction, afraid to take a risk that could lead to loss and pain. But now he was a different man, and the fear and self-doubt had been replaced by hope and confidence.

“Sweetheart, I believe that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard,” he whispered before showering her with passionate kisses. “I cannot think of any place I’d rather be in the world than wherever you are.”

***

The late spring sun felt warm on her back as Carlisle walked toward the café. She was ten minutes early, and Franco was just opening up for the day after arriving from Sunday morning Mass.

“
Buongiorno
,
Sig
norina
Carlisle!” he called to her as she strode toward the café. “You look beautiful today, as every day.”

Carlisle responded to his compliment by playfully twirling around in her daffodil-colored A-line spring dress. She laughed at herself and returned the café owner’s morning greeting. After the crazy dating experiences she’d had recently, she was feeling surprisingly relaxed at the prospect of having a blind date with another American in Verona, all of which had been set up by a café owner she knew only from brief conversations at the café.

“The usual?” the café owner double-checked before going in to prepare her cappuccino.

It was a gorgeous early April morning. The days were getting longer, and the dreary, gray weather of winter was all but a memory. Carlisle’s chosen table in the sun allowed her to bathe in its warmth, while a cool breeze playfully tickled the back of her neck.

She sipped her cappuccino quietly and enjoyed the quiet game she often played in her mind while people-watching. In this game, which she’d been playing since childhood, she chose a man and woman from different areas of the crowd. In real life, they would be in no way connected but, in her game, she created a story of them meeting and falling in love. Sometimes, she pretended they were spies on a covert mission and, once in a while, she chose children from the crowd to become part of the story, too.

Imagination got the best of her and, before she knew it, she’d developed an entire story about one tall, thin man and a very short, plump woman who walked the streets as commoners but were really spies for the king and queen of some long-lost land. The tale would have continued to develop in her mind had the clock tower across the street not ding-donged once to indicate the half hour.

“Oh, 9:30 already?”
Carlisle noted out loud. Her blind date was supposed to be there at 9 o’clock, or so the café owner had said. Perhaps he was running late on this lazy Sunday morning. Carlisle had nothing pressing planned, so she decided to enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and the delicious cappuccino Franco had made for her. She’d wait another half hour to see if the mystery man showed up and, if he didn’t, then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Besides, she was in no hurry to have another date that left her feeling like a participant in the latest hidden-camera show.

As if reading her thoughts, Franco came out of the café fifteen minutes later and commented, “I can’t imagine where he is. He’s been coming here faithfully every Sunday morning for the last several months.”

“It’s no problem,” Carlisle reassured him as she enjoyed the last sip of her cappuccino. “Maybe we just weren’t meant to meet.” She smiled at Franco to let him know it really was okay. The afternoon and evening lay before her, and she looked forward to working on her book for a while before meeting her neighbors for a potluck dinner to celebrate their first springtime in Verona.

***

Springtime was just a tad warmer in Siena than it was in Verona, and the rolling hills were lush with the beginnings of this year’s crops of wheat and corn. The white oak, lemon and chestnut trees in the nearby orchards and groves were full and round with their dark green foliage and the promise of the fruits they’d bear later in the year. Josh walked up the gravel-covered trail toward the five-star hotel he was staying at for the weekend.

When the crew finished filming for the week, he was packed and ready to go back to his apartment in Verona. Then, at the last minute, he decided to remain in Tuscany for the weekend. There was nothing to go back to except for an empty apartment, and he didn’t feel like facing the deafening sound of silence all weekend. His neighbors had contacted him about a dinner together on the weekend and he’d happily accepted. But he’d since changed his mind, and he really wasn’t in the mood to put on a brave face for his neighbors.

Josh was never one to change his mind, back and forth, and then back and forth again. In the past, he’d always come up with an idea, thought it through, made a decision and stuck with it. It was easy to stick with his plans because he always felt certain and sure of himself. Now, nothing in his life seemed certain except for the time he spent working. Although he’d been sent to Italy for the film, he’d really hoped it would be a fresh start and a new beginning for him and Nicolette. He’d longed to put the stresses of the past behind them and begin preparing for a future.

But those dreams were broken the day he found that packet of cocaine, and they died a slow, painful death in the weeks that followed as he waited to see if Nicolette would return. When she went back to Los Angeles, choosing her old life over him, the pain seared his heart and felt raw, even weeks after she’d left.

Josh sat down at a table on the veranda and looked out over the olive trees and grapevines that looked like a thick, lush carpet covering the sides of the hills. He knew letting her go had been the right thing to do. There was no way he could be drawn into the madness of Nicolette’s addiction again. But he couldn’t believe their relationship had come to an end, and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get over it.

***

“To springtime in Verona,” Charles said, as everyone raised their glasses.

“To springtime in Verona!” they all answered together.

Despite the cooler evening air, Sofia, Eva and Carlisle were all decked out and looking beautiful in their spring-themed dresses and skirt ensembles with the addition of a thin sweater or shawl to stave off the chill. Charles and Marcello both wore dress pants and shirts topped off by casual sports jackets. Even the table was dressed up with a white linen tablecloth illuminated by tea lights floating in water-filled glass bowls surrounded by colorful beads and baubles that played with the light.

“I’m feeling a bit like a fifth wheel tonight,” Carlisle interjected, noting that she was the only one there who wasn’t a part of a couple. “Where are Josh and Nicolette this evening?”

Sofia met Carlisle’s inquiring gaze with a sad look in her eyes. “I’m afraid our neighbors have fallen on rough times. Josh called us earlier in the day to say he wouldn’t make it to the dinner tonight. He’s staying in Tuscany for the weekend.” She reached for Charles’ hand, thankful to have him in her life. “I don’t know the details, but Josh and Nicolette have split up, and Nicolette has returned to California. He sounded rather sad on the phone.”